TY - JOUR
T1 - Impulsivity, alexithymia and dissociation among pathological gamblers in different therapeutic settings: A multisample comparison study
AU - Gori, Alessio
AU - Craparo, Giuseppe
AU - Caretti, Vincenzo
AU - Giannini, Marco
AU - Iraci-Sareri, Giuseppe
AU - Bruschi, Angelo
AU - Janiri, Luigi
AU - Ponti, Lucia
AU - Tani, Franca
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Since many psychopathological traits seem to be related to Gambling Disorder (GD), impulsivity, alexithymia and dissociation could play a central role in gambling behaviors, particularly in pathological gambling. We test this hypothesis in four distinct samples of gamblers, three undergoing different types of treatments and a control group. The study sample consists of 204 subjects (males 87.3%, mean age=47.75 years, SD=12.08) divided into four groups: (1) 59 subjects belonging to an Outpatients Treatment Program in the National Health System (NHS); (2) 60 subjects of an Outpatients Self-Help Group Program; (3) 35 subjects belonging to a Residential Treatment Program (Inpatients Program); and (4) 50 subjects without gambling problems (Control Group). Results show a positive relationship between gambling behaviors, impulsivity and alexithymia, and a negligible link between gambling behaviors and dissociation. Findings also display the presence of higher levels of all these features in pathological gamblers with higher scores on the SOGS, and particularly, in participants attending a Residential Treatment Program (Inpatients Program). This study confirms the hypothesis of the presence of higher levels of impulsivity, alexithymia and dissociation in pathological gamblers with a greater severity and seems to indicate a significant importance of impulsivity and alexithymia in predicting gambling behaviors.
AB - Since many psychopathological traits seem to be related to Gambling Disorder (GD), impulsivity, alexithymia and dissociation could play a central role in gambling behaviors, particularly in pathological gambling. We test this hypothesis in four distinct samples of gamblers, three undergoing different types of treatments and a control group. The study sample consists of 204 subjects (males 87.3%, mean age=47.75 years, SD=12.08) divided into four groups: (1) 59 subjects belonging to an Outpatients Treatment Program in the National Health System (NHS); (2) 60 subjects of an Outpatients Self-Help Group Program; (3) 35 subjects belonging to a Residential Treatment Program (Inpatients Program); and (4) 50 subjects without gambling problems (Control Group). Results show a positive relationship between gambling behaviors, impulsivity and alexithymia, and a negligible link between gambling behaviors and dissociation. Findings also display the presence of higher levels of all these features in pathological gamblers with higher scores on the SOGS, and particularly, in participants attending a Residential Treatment Program (Inpatients Program). This study confirms the hypothesis of the presence of higher levels of impulsivity, alexithymia and dissociation in pathological gamblers with a greater severity and seems to indicate a significant importance of impulsivity and alexithymia in predicting gambling behaviors.
KW - Biological Psychiatry
KW - Psychiatry and Mental Health
KW - Biological Psychiatry
KW - Psychiatry and Mental Health
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/95406
UR - http://www.elsevier.com/locate/psychres
U2 - 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.046
DO - 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.046
M3 - Article
SN - 0165-1781
VL - 246
SP - 789
EP - 795
JO - Psychiatry Research
JF - Psychiatry Research
ER -